The Art of Orality: Cultural Aesthetics in the Absence of Writing

By Declan Lloyd

This book considers how the presence or absence of writing can influence a culture's distinctive styles of visual art, proposing that many of the most profound developments in the art world are directly correlative with a cultural transition from orality to literacy (that is, from a culture which only has a spoken form of language, to one which has both a spoken and written form). The study contemplates how the 'psychodynamics' of orality might radically affect artistic expression, resulting in a range of visual traits which in many ways reflect the unique modes of speech within primary oral societies. Looking to the art of a diverse range of cultures and time periods - including Archaic Greek art, medieval art, African tribal art, child art, Outsider art and Modern art - The Art of Orality considers what new insights can be gleaned by bringing these styles into dialogue with orality and literacy studies.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3031854306
• ISBN13: 9783031854309
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 237 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.8" x 8.3"